History

THE POWERLINE STORY

In the fall of 1984 the doors opened for the first time at a small 700 square foot store located in a plaza at 672 Woolwich Street North, in Guelph, Ontario. Base Electronics was the name. The 700 square foot store looked big enough, or so we thought, but we outgrew it in a matter of months, and relocated to a 1100 square foot location at 698 Woolwich Street North.

The business was growing and the strength of car audio prompted the move to 214 Speedvale Ave. West in 1987. Our new location gave us 4100 square feet as well as an installation bay for car audio, which brought on staff member Gord Gibbs as our installer. In 1992 we were looking to rent a large location for one week to run a manufacturer sponsored off premise sale. We found our current location, 409 Woodlawn Road West to be vacant. This space was rented for one week, divided into separate booths for manufacturers, and we held a very successful event. At the end of this week our discussion with the landlord turned to: "How much if we keep it?"

In October 1992 we found ourselves making our biggest move yet to 409 Woodlawn Road West, our current location. This move also brought with it our name change to PowerLine Electronics in time to compete with the big box stores. We undertook what was a drastic move in the industry: changing our name and quadrupling our space, inventory and staff at the same time to accomodate our now 17,000 square foot location.

PowerLine Electronics survived many growing pains over the years. By the year 2000 we had decided that 409 Woodlawn Road West would be our permanent home and we purchased the property. Renovations gave us the opportunity to convert another 4000 square feet into showroom space. In order to diversify and keep within the realm of home entertainment, PowerPlay was born. The area's largest selection of "indoor fun". Pool tables, shuffleboards, foosball, air hockey, darts, accessories and so much more! We are now a total home entertainment centre.

We have enjoyed building our business through loyal customers and dedicated long term staff. Much of PowerLine's staff have been with us a very long time and they know their customers and products very well. A large part of our continued success is due to our great mix of employees that have excellent reputations and are highly respected in the industry. Over the years, some have moved on to positions with our manufacturers including JVC, Sharp, Pioneer, and Denon, rather than to other electronic retailers.

PowerLine staff receives ongoing product knowledge training including CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association) certification. CEDIA training allows our PowerHouse Custom Home Theatre and Automation Division to completely design, recommend and install endless possibilities of home electronics from new home pre-wiring to retro-fitting existing homes. We encourage and provide all staff extensive training to allow them to be well versed in all product lines.

Our on-site 12 volt automotive technicians, Gord Gibbs and Ron Scott, are government certified. Our certified installers have the skills and the knowledge to very competently complete your 12 volt installation including auto-start systems.

We are an authorized dealer for all of the products we carry. Buying from PowerLine Electronics allows you the benefit of being able to have your items serviced by a Manufacturer Authorized Repair Centre should the need ever arise. Authorized service will keep your warranty intact and guarantee continued performance.

Every day is still an adventure at PowerLine. The biggest part of our success is credited to our many loyal customers. Not a day goes by without seeing familiar faces, greeting regular customers or answering the phone to a familiar voice.

It is extremely rewarding we have come so far as the many times we hear things like, "I remember coming into the store with my Dad when he bought is first stereo, now I'm here for mine" or, "I've got a 20 year old television that I bought from you that I'm still using." These are the statements we are hearing more and more often.

Thanks to our customers, PowerLine Electronics is well positioned in the market place as 'a big fish in a small pond'. This has allowed us the opportunity to pick and choose from almost all product lines available. You'll find a rare collection of the big brands under one roof. Panasonic, LG, JVC, Samsung, Sony, Anthem Cambridge Audio, Kaption, Pioneer Totem, Onkyo, Alpine, Paradigm, Audioquest, Canada Billiard, Predator, Dufferin, and so many more. We are proud to offer our latest addition of quality home theatre seating, bars, stools and accessories from some of the biggest names in furniture.

Carrying this calibre and selection in our product line was our pursuit from the start. In fact, our name came about specifically from this goal. "We must carry the power lines", was a common theme heard in our early discussions of becoming an independent, and as such, blossomed into our business name. Our philosophy is simple, 'we treat people as we would expect to be treated ourselves' and while doing that, try to keep it fun for both customers and staff.

We sincerely thank you, our customers, for your patronage and for your loyalty for the past 37 years. We continue to explore avenues to bring you the best products and to always give the utmost in service. We look forward to continuing to work hard at being the area's largest independent electronics centre.